The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and the Writing Center are sponsoring the first annual Life in My Skin essay contest.
Students interested in entering may submit a 500- to 650-word essay to the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs about a moment they felt defined by their skin. All students are encouraged to participate.
Roberto Garcia, the director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, wanted to create this contest to try to get students to share their own life experiences.
“The purpose of the essay contest is to provide a platform for students to share their experiences with race while simultaneously educating the campus community,” Garcia said. “I hope students realize that their voice matters. The campus community cares about their experiences and want to better understand who they are so we can continue to support them.”
Garcia sees the contest as an opportunity for students to better understand their peers’ unique life experiences.
“We hope students write about their experiences in an authentic, respectful and meaningful way, so we can better understand what life is like in their skin,” Garcia said.
Writing Center Director Helen Raica-Klotz is excited about collaborating with the Multicultural Student Affairs office for the contest.
“The Writing Center has a history of collaborating with various departments and programs on campus to sponsor student writing contests,” Raica-Klotz said. “Since our goal is to promote student writing, co-hosting this contest – one that encourages students to write an essay focused their personal experiences with race – is an exciting opportunity for us.”
The winners will be asked to read their essay at campus events and may also have it published in Writings@SVSU.
Additionally, three winners will receive monetary prizes ranging from $100 to $200.
Submissions are due Friday, March 2.
